60 SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



The tea of commerce consists of the young leaves, heated, curled and 

 sweated. The process of preparing the leaves can be effected by 

 steam machinery j a machine of particular construction has been 

 suggested recently by Mr. Joachiini, according to requirements 

 explained by the writer. In 1866 three machines for dressing tea 

 have been patented in England one by Messrs. Campbell and 

 Burgess, one by Mr. Thomson, and one by Mr. Tayser. To give an 

 idea of the quantity of tea which is consumed at the present time, 

 it may be stated that from June to September, 1871, 11,000,000 

 Ibs. of tea were shipped from China alone to Australia, and that 

 the produce of tea in India from January to June of 1872 has been 

 18,500,000 Ibs. India sent only a first small sample of tea in 1840 

 to the European market, but exported in 1877 to England forty 

 millions of Ibs., that is, as much as the whole English importation 

 thirty years ago (Burrell). Dr. Scherzer estimates the Chinese 

 home consumption at 400 million pounds, others much higher. In 

 1873, China exported 242 million pounds, Japan twelve million 

 pounds. Simmonds estimates the area under tea cultivation in 

 China at 25 million acres. 100 Ibs. of prepared tea is the average 

 yield per acre. Seeds of the tea-bush are now in many parts of 

 Australia locally to be gathered from plants distributed by the 

 writer, and for years to come the cultivation of the tea-bush, 

 merely to secure local supplies of fresh seeds, ready to germinate, 

 will in all likelihood prove highly lucrative. Tea contains an 

 alkaloid : coffein, a peculiar essential oil, and Boheic acid, along 

 with other substances. 



Canavalia gladiata, Candolle.* 



Within the tropics of Asia, Africa and America. This perennial 

 climber grows to an enormous height, and bears an abundant crop 

 of edible beans (Sir Walter Elliott) with large seeds, which can be 

 used green. It varies with red and white seeds, and in the size of 

 the latter, which are wholesome. C. ensiformis (Cand.) is another 

 variety. 



Canna Achiras, Gillies. 



Mendoza. One of the few extra-tropic Cannas, eligible for arrow- 

 root culture. 



Canna coccinea, Roscoe. 



West India. Yields with some other Cannas the particular arrow- 

 root called Tous Les Mois. 



Canna edulis, Edwards. * 



The Adeira of Peru. One of the hardiest of arrowroot plants. 

 Seeds, even if many years old, will germinate. The species has 

 yielded excellent starch at Melbourne, Western Port, Lake 



